Halloween

Turn of the century thespians play their roles wearing Roman togas.

No Costume? Grab A Sheet And Rock a Toga

Costume designer Mariah Hale explains how to wrap the perfect last-minute toga

A yellow fever epidemic may have planted the seeds of inspiration for Washington Irving's iconic tale of the a headless horseman.

What “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” Tells Us About Contagion, Fear and Epidemics

Washington Irving fled New York because of a yellow fever epidemic. Twenty-two years later, his classic story spoke to the chaos of his youth

A common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) isn't as scary as its name might suggest.

Seven Vampires That Aren’t Bats (Or Bela Lugosi)

From flying frogs to deep-sea squid, meet some of the other nosferatu of the animal kingdom

Throwing money into the air during the celebration of the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Festivals of the Dead Around the World

In the United States, Halloween is mostly about candy, but elsewhere in the world celebrations honoring the departed have a spiritual meaning

None

This Grave Atlas Shows Where to Find the Distinguished Deceased

We know where the bodies are buried ... take a virtual tour of world cemeteries that host famous artists and rogues

Houdini's grave at the Machpelah Cemetery in Queens.

Nine Famous People and What They’re Buried With

Icons of their time, these celebrities didn’t stray far from their public personae when it came to their final resting places

A zombie enjoys a bite of pan de muertos at a Day of the Dead celebration in Atlanta, Georgia.

Barmbrack, Toffee and Other Treats to Have an Around-the-World Halloween Celebration

This weekend’s celebrations extend beyond snarfing down Hershey and Mars bars

The trope of the beautiful witch was popular between 1905 and 1915.

Women of the Early 1900s Rallied Behind Beautiful, Wartless Witches

Women looking to work, vote and marry whomever they wanted turned the Halloween icon into a powerful symbol

Denver Police Stoke a New Halloween Fear—Pot-Laced Candy

You really think people are going to give marijuana away?

"Vampire Grave" in Bulgaria Holds a Skeleton With a Stake Through Its Heart

The skeleton likely fell victim to vampire hysteria that gripped Eastern Europe until relatively recently

Abandoned wooden houses line the main street in St. Elmo, Colorado.

Need Some Alone Time? Check Out America's Coolest Ghost Towns

Old mines, abandoned buildings, and the occasional curse: Ghost towns cover the United States, and they make for a fun detour

Like his life's work, Edgar Allan Poe's death remains shrouded in mystery.

The (Still) Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe

Was the famous author killed from a beating? From carbon monoxide poisoning? From alcohol withdrawal? Here are the top nine theories

Worried about your kid's Halloween candy being poisoned? Don't be.

Where Did the Fear of Poisoned Halloween Candy Come From?

The answer, as always, is to blame the media

None

Real-Life Turkish Vampire Now Cured

A man just recovered from a condition his doctor called "clinical vampirism"—which was characterized by insatiable cravings for human blood

None

Why Does Dracula Wear a Tuxedo? The Origins of Bram Stoker’s Timeless Vampire

The evolution of Dracula, from the mind of a sickly youth to an iconic portrayal on the silver screen

None

The Haunted and the Haunting: Best Places to Visit on Halloween

This Halloween, indulge in the the electric, nerve-zapping thrill of fear, and consider visiting real destinations of creepy history and ghostly legends

We love candy, to eat and to look at. Big Suckers, from the portfolio Seven Still Lifes and a Silver Landscape. Wayne Thiebaud, 1971.

Candy From Halloween’s Past

From candy's lackluster beginnings to the Halloween boom, Smithsonian shares some tricks and treats

None

The Halloween Tradition Best Left Dead: Kale as Matchmaker

Be happy this Scottish tradition is passé, your future marriage may have depended on it

None

The Fox Sisters and the Rap on Spiritualism

Their seances with the departed launched a mass religious movement—and then one of them confessed that "it was common delusion"

None

Scaredy Cats Unite—Not Everyone Loves Being Afraid

A big part of Halloween is getting scared, intentionally. Why in the world would anyone want that?

Page 6 of 8